Hi Everyone! Here's What’s Happening This Week!
The Banff sign is back at the train station. It was removed for area improvement work, it was repaired, and now it is back in exactly the position it left. That is the whole story, and it is a perfectly decent one.
On the bigger end of the week's news: Ottawa has now committed over $900 million to Jasper's wildfire recovery, with interim housing for displaced residents funded through to March 2028. The rebuild is moving, slowly and expensively, in the right direction.
If you are driving the Icefields Parkway this summer, the Columbia Icefield Ice Explorer and Skywalk is worth booking ahead - spots go quickly in July, and it is not the sort of thing that rewards turning up and hoping.
For anyone still weighing where to stay at Lake Louise, the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise sits directly on the shoreline. Once the day visitors clear out, the lake and the trailheads beyond are yours.
See Banff’s Lakes Before You Visit | Moraine Lake | Moraine Lake Rockpile | Lake Louise | Peyto Lake | Bow Lake
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Ride a massive all-terrain vehicle out onto the Athabasca Glacier, then walk out onto the Skywalk, a glass-floored platform suspended 280 metres above the valley below.
🏔️ Fresh from the Rockies
🔥 $900 Million to Rebuild Jasper. The federal government has announced $520 million in new funding for Jasper's wildfire recovery, bringing the total commitment to over $900 million. Interim housing for displaced residents is funded through to March 2028.
🐻 One New Bear Warning This Week. Castle Mountain Campground has a fresh bear warning as of June 30, joining a long list of active closures and warnings across Banff, Kananaskis, Yoho, Kootenay and Jasper in this week's full bear report.
🐦 A Very Lost Bird in Banff. A Hudsonian godwit - a threatened long-distance migrant - turned up near Banff Trail Riders stables on June 29, pushed off course by the Bow Valley storms. Most people walking past probably saw a bird in wet grass.
🍺 Cave and Basin Gets a Beer Festival. The Banff Craft Beer Festival runs October 22-24 at Cave and Basin National Historic Site - where Canada's national park system was founded in 1885. Tickets and hotel packages are on sale now; the brewery lineup hasn't been announced yet.
🚉 Banff Sign Returns to Station. The Banff sign is back at the train station, following its removal for area improvement work. It went away for renovations and came back exactly where it left off.
🏌️ Kananaskis Golf Reopens Monday. Kananaskis Country Golf Club returns to play Monday, 6 July, after closing for flooding in the Bow Valley. It missed Canada Day weekend entirely.
🚧 Mount Engadine Lodge Closes Temporarily. Road closures have shut the Spray Valley lodge, with staff contacting affected guests directly. No reopening date given.
🌤️ Unsettled to start, but it warms up nicely from here - Thursday brings a mix of sun and cloud with a 30% shower chance and a high of 19°C, Friday clears up nicely with 19°C, and Saturday's forecast is straight-up sunny with a high of 21°C. Full Forecast Here
⭐ Most Popular Last Issue
The Malcolm Hotel in Canmore is the answer to Banff pricing that most people don't think to look for. Heated outdoor pool, hot tubs with a view of the Three Sisters, and a location that puts you close enough to everything that matters
🚡Gondolas and Chairlifts in the Rockies: All Five Options Compared
There are five sightseeing lifts across the Banff-Jasper corridor, and they suit quite different types of day.
Banff Gondola - The default choice for most first-time visitors. It runs up Sulphur Mountain a few minutes from town, with views over the Bow Valley, a boardwalk to Sanson Peak, and indoor facilities when the weather turns. Runs year-round. The busiest of the five - go early or book ahead in summer.
Lake Louise Gondola - Worth considering if wildlife is part of why you came. This is an active wildlife corridor, and spotting bears on the slopes is a genuine possibility. More open and less packaged than Sulphur Mountain. A good option if you are already spending the day at Lake Louise or Moraine Lake.
Sunshine Village Gondola - Two lifts take you into proper alpine country above Banff. Sunshine Meadows at the top has open terrain, small lakes, and views that feel bigger and wilder than most roadside stops. Best for people who want to walk around once they are up there. Allow most of a day.
Norquay Sightseeing Chairlift - An open chairlift, not an enclosed gondola. Good views over Banff town, and the Cliffhouse Bistro at the top makes it a decent half-day outing in its own right. The quietest of the five.
Jasper SkyTram - Canada's longest and highest aerial tramway, taking you up Whistlers Mountain about ten minutes from the Jasper townsite in large guided cars. At the top there is a Summit Cafe and a 1.4km trail to Whistlers Peak. Open late March to late October. The natural add-on if you are driving the Icefields Parkway.
The Banff Gondola remains the sensible starting point for most visitors. Book in advance to avoid the walk-up queue in peak summer.
🚌Can I Get Around Banff Without a Car?
Yes, and for most visitors on a first trip, you may not need one. Roam Transit covers Canmore, Banff townsite, and Lake Louise on an affordable bus network - a day pass covers all routes and gets you further than you might expect. Banff townsite itself is compact and walkable, so if you are based in town and keeping things simple, going car-free is genuinely practical.
Moraine Lake - Private vehicles have been banned from Moraine Lake Road since 2023, so everyone arrives by shuttle regardless of whether they have a rental. The challenge is getting your booking right - shuttle spots release in stages and sell out quickly in summer.
Lake Louise - Still reachable by car, but parking runs $42 a day in peak season, and the car park fills before sunrise on most summer mornings. If you are not prepared to set an early alarm, the shuttle options are worth looking at so you do not spend the first hour of your day circling a car park.
If you want both lakes and Johnston Canyon covered in a single day without the planning headache, the Hop On Banff bus handles all three stops on one day pass.
One caveat worth flagging: if you plan to push beyond the Banff corridor into Kananaskis or up the Icefields Parkway, a car opens things up considerably.
The Chateau sits right on the Lake Louise shoreline, so once the day-trippers clear out, you get the lake and the trailheads to Lake Agnes and the Plain of Six Glaciers almost to yourself.
🏕️ Quiz
Which famous trail near Banff features these narrow steel walkways built directly into the limestone canyon walls?
Yesterday’s Question: What river flows through the town of Banff?
✅ Answer: B) Bow River - 91% Correct
🎸Events, Activities & Live Music
📅 Featured events for today are listed below. Visit our website for a complete list.
FULL EVENT CALENDAR | BANFF & LAKE LOUISE | CANMORE | JASPER NP
BANFF HAPPY HOURS | CANMORE HAPPY HOURS
Thursday, July 2
10:00 | Canmore Mountain Market | Elevation Place | Canmore
11:00 | Oh Canada Exhibit | Elevation Place | Canmore
18:00 | Pub Nights | Bill Warren Training Centre | Canmore
18:00 | Sunset Festival @ Banff Gondola | Banff Gondola | Banff
18:20 | CAMBA x Dirt Queens Social Rides | Canmore Nordic Centre | Canmore
19:00 | Poker Night | Canmore Legion | Canmore
19:00 | Trivia Night | The Drake | Canmore
19:00 | Wildlife Safety Training with CYAN | Biosphere Institute | Canmore
19:00 | Mike Burns | Rose and Crown Canmore | Canmore
19:30 | The Cheezie Musical | Carter-Ryan Theatre | Canmore
22:00 | The Big Shiny Band | Rose and Crown Banff | Banff
22:00 | Thirsty Thursday Party | Melissa's Missteak | Banff
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👋 That’s All For Now 🎬
Another week of mountain magic awaits!
We're so glad you're here for the ride.
Keep exploring and sharing, and we'll see you in the next issue with another full lineup of Banff happenings.
Jill & Kevin | Editor | What’s On Banff
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